Firstly, let me wish you all the best of the season, whatever season that may be.
This year has seen TNS perform on highly visible and public stages. In June, we attended the IKON Sports Awards. The IKONs are annual awards that recognise the best in amateur sport in Nova Scotia. Jason Murphy was nominated as one of the three top officials in Nova Scotia in 2008. I know we don't see very much of Jason in TZ nowadays, but this award recognised his work for Triathlon Canada and the ITU in the Americas and beyond. Shawn Amirault won the Fair Play award for his actions at the '08 Bridgetown Olympic. When read out over the PA, their citations seemed even more incredible, even if a typo (theirs, not TNS's) meant Jason worked at the National Spring Triathlon Championships. As Jason said "with two trips to the podium we looked like Soccer Nova Scotia, if only we had even a fraction of their money". I think the fact that we got two trips to the podium speaks volumes about the members of TNS. We do not adhere to the OCD, blinkered, Tri-at-any-price triathlete sterotype and that we take the time out of our day, out of our training and even out of our race to help others. Certanly Jason and Shawn did. Chapeau!
Jason Murphy (L) and Shawn Amirault (R)
On a sporting level, no stage was more highly visible this year than Summerside PEI where Triathlon made it's inaugural appearance at the Canada Games. Despite representing a small sport in a small province, our men's and women's teams of Jill King, Meggie Soehl, Emily Wood, Mac Grant, Brad Piggott and Parker Vaughan performed admirably in the individual and team competitions. We mustn't forget the coaches Jason and Jennifer Lawton too, who were indispensable members of the team. Not only did they coach the team to CG, but they set in motion a process that generated not only the '09 CG team but is already looking forward to growing the team for the '13 games.
The 2009 Canada Games Triathlon Team (L-R) Mac Grant, Jill King, Meggie Soehl, Emily Wood, Parker Vaughan and Brad Piggott
Without too much hyperbole, Brad Piggot had a breakout games. He posted the fastest swim split in the individual event and the fastest run in the team competition (think how fast Simon Whitfield runs, that's how fast Brad was going!). He was unlucky not to medal, having led the individual race out of the water and making the lead pack. Thanks to these performances, together with his twin brother Matt, he was recently extended an invitation to triathlon's National Training Centre.
Brad Piggott
Indeed the men's team was denied a medal in the Team competition due to an untimely mechanical, coming in 4th. In an unprecedented and understated show of sportsmanship, the 3rd place Manitobans presented the NS lads with their podium pins!
The Manitoba (white/grey) and Nova Scotia (Blue/white) men's triathlon teams.
Nova Scotia also provided 25% of the officials team at the CG including Tracy Crowell and Linda McLeod. They spent the week in Summerside learning how to ply their trade at the highest levels and when it came to the Team competition, literally making it up as they went along. Speaking of major games, we understand that Linda and Jason will be working in official capacities at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Not as triathlon officials, but in official capacities nonetheless; good luck guys.
The Canada Games Triathlon Canada Officials (in red) and Local Organising C'tte (yellow)
Age-group athletes from TNS have also been visible in competitions across the world. We especially think of Dana Philips, who came back from a horrific crash at Navy '07 to represent Canada at '08 LC Worlds in Australia. This year we were lucky enough to have Worlds spots at several races right here at home and so many Nova Scotians will be donning the red-and-white skin-suit this coming year; good luck all.
That was then, what about now? Well looking forward, I can announce that early in the New Year the AGM will be on Jan 30th at Banook Canoe Club, followed by the Awards banquet (same place). Please come and have your say in the running of this organisation and then stay for the party.
The more net-savvy of you will have realised that a skeleton race-schedule is on Atlantic Chip Timing. These likely aren't the only races however. We're working on another duathlon as well as a draft-legal race so fingers crossed. It is already promising to be an exciting season!
We relaunched the TurnAround too this year, as you probably know if you are reading this. I hope you like the new look and format. Even though some things have changed, some things stay the same and we welcome all contributions from members. We already have followers all across Canada, but even so please forward the links and articles on to people you know who might be interested.
It has been an honour to be your President this year, even if sometimes there's been a touch of the deer-in-headlights and blue-arsed fly about me. As this year draws to a close, take a well-earned break and try not to think about triathlon too much over the Holidays. Come Jan 1 there'll be swim, bike and run aplenty; I look forward to seeing you in TZ
Andrew
President; Triathlon Nova Scotia
It has been an interesting year for TNS. Our ability to deliver programmes and services to you, the membership, ran up against the irresistible object that is the fact TNS is primarily a volunteer organisation. This notwithstanding, we were able to remain true to our core commitment and provided a race series that lasted from June to October from Cape Breton to Yarmouth. I'd like to thank all our race directors for their tireless efforts in providing us venues in which to test ourselves. I'd also like to thank all the race-day volunteers and officials, who provided a safe and fair environment for us to do the same.
I would also like to extend a huge word of thanks to the Board of Directors, who have collectively provided the support that allowed the Race Directors, Technical Officials and volunteers to do their thing. An ex-president of TNS once defined the role of President as being one of "putting people in roles" as much as leading from the front and so whatever TNS has accomplished this year is thanks to them.
The only member of TNS who does not act in a volunteer capacity (well most of the time) is our Executive Director Sarah Wood. If anyone takes the credit for keeping the good ship TNS afloat, it should be Sarah. She has a hand (and sometimes her whole arm) in every project, every aspect, of TNS's activities and she has worked tirelessly over the year to ensure that we can do what we do. She also took most of the photos in this post. Sarah keeps out of the limelight and so one of the only pictures I can find of here is this one from Port Hood a couple of years ago; yes, she was leaving, but characteristically, only after the race has been run safely but well before the accolades (including hers) are given out. Merci Sarah.
Another asset to TNS this year was our summer student, Shawn Miller. He contributed significantly to our ability to put on races, despite forgetting to bring the buoys to Guysborough following a perverse "it's a triathlon, I didn't think you'd need them" logic. We understand that Shawn has since joined the Navy. He has already been counseled on the correct pronunciation of buoy (it's "boy" not "bu-i") and reminded that if he forgets the naval version the Navy, unlike the Guysborough TD, will have no qualms about painting him orange and setting him afloat in the harbour. And possibly mooring a frigate to him. Sometimes we wish for the days of keelhauling.
Shawn had a chequered summer. We did this to him after he tipped the HOTH TD's kayak over, dropping him into the lake fully clothed carrying a Garmin, radio and the laser range-finders. What were we saying about keel-hauling?
In order to support positions such as Sarah and Shawns, TNS derives much of its operating capital from grants such as NS Department of Health Promotion & Protection Block Funding. Our Block Funding request was successful this year and we secured funding for a further 3 years. As with many Provincial Sporting Organisations (PSO), we experienced a cut in block funding. In our case this was 10% or ca. $500, but compared to the swinging cuts exeriences by other PSOs, we did very well. Thanks to all who helped out in this process; your contributions may be invisible to the membership at large but they generated indispensible income without which TNS could not continue to survive.
I would also like to extend a huge word of thanks to the Board of Directors, who have collectively provided the support that allowed the Race Directors, Technical Officials and volunteers to do their thing. An ex-president of TNS once defined the role of President as being one of "putting people in roles" as much as leading from the front and so whatever TNS has accomplished this year is thanks to them.
The only member of TNS who does not act in a volunteer capacity (well most of the time) is our Executive Director Sarah Wood. If anyone takes the credit for keeping the good ship TNS afloat, it should be Sarah. She has a hand (and sometimes her whole arm) in every project, every aspect, of TNS's activities and she has worked tirelessly over the year to ensure that we can do what we do. She also took most of the photos in this post. Sarah keeps out of the limelight and so one of the only pictures I can find of here is this one from Port Hood a couple of years ago; yes, she was leaving, but characteristically, only after the race has been run safely but well before the accolades (including hers) are given out. Merci Sarah.
Another asset to TNS this year was our summer student, Shawn Miller. He contributed significantly to our ability to put on races, despite forgetting to bring the buoys to Guysborough following a perverse "it's a triathlon, I didn't think you'd need them" logic. We understand that Shawn has since joined the Navy. He has already been counseled on the correct pronunciation of buoy (it's "boy" not "bu-i") and reminded that if he forgets the naval version the Navy, unlike the Guysborough TD, will have no qualms about painting him orange and setting him afloat in the harbour. And possibly mooring a frigate to him. Sometimes we wish for the days of keelhauling.
Shawn had a chequered summer. We did this to him after he tipped the HOTH TD's kayak over, dropping him into the lake fully clothed carrying a Garmin, radio and the laser range-finders. What were we saying about keel-hauling?In order to support positions such as Sarah and Shawns, TNS derives much of its operating capital from grants such as NS Department of Health Promotion & Protection Block Funding. Our Block Funding request was successful this year and we secured funding for a further 3 years. As with many Provincial Sporting Organisations (PSO), we experienced a cut in block funding. In our case this was 10% or ca. $500, but compared to the swinging cuts exeriences by other PSOs, we did very well. Thanks to all who helped out in this process; your contributions may be invisible to the membership at large but they generated indispensible income without which TNS could not continue to survive.
This year has seen TNS perform on highly visible and public stages. In June, we attended the IKON Sports Awards. The IKONs are annual awards that recognise the best in amateur sport in Nova Scotia. Jason Murphy was nominated as one of the three top officials in Nova Scotia in 2008. I know we don't see very much of Jason in TZ nowadays, but this award recognised his work for Triathlon Canada and the ITU in the Americas and beyond. Shawn Amirault won the Fair Play award for his actions at the '08 Bridgetown Olympic. When read out over the PA, their citations seemed even more incredible, even if a typo (theirs, not TNS's) meant Jason worked at the National Spring Triathlon Championships. As Jason said "with two trips to the podium we looked like Soccer Nova Scotia, if only we had even a fraction of their money". I think the fact that we got two trips to the podium speaks volumes about the members of TNS. We do not adhere to the OCD, blinkered, Tri-at-any-price triathlete sterotype and that we take the time out of our day, out of our training and even out of our race to help others. Certanly Jason and Shawn did. Chapeau!
Jason Murphy (L) and Shawn Amirault (R)On a sporting level, no stage was more highly visible this year than Summerside PEI where Triathlon made it's inaugural appearance at the Canada Games. Despite representing a small sport in a small province, our men's and women's teams of Jill King, Meggie Soehl, Emily Wood, Mac Grant, Brad Piggott and Parker Vaughan performed admirably in the individual and team competitions. We mustn't forget the coaches Jason and Jennifer Lawton too, who were indispensable members of the team. Not only did they coach the team to CG, but they set in motion a process that generated not only the '09 CG team but is already looking forward to growing the team for the '13 games.
The 2009 Canada Games Triathlon Team (L-R) Mac Grant, Jill King, Meggie Soehl, Emily Wood, Parker Vaughan and Brad PiggottWithout too much hyperbole, Brad Piggot had a breakout games. He posted the fastest swim split in the individual event and the fastest run in the team competition (think how fast Simon Whitfield runs, that's how fast Brad was going!). He was unlucky not to medal, having led the individual race out of the water and making the lead pack. Thanks to these performances, together with his twin brother Matt, he was recently extended an invitation to triathlon's National Training Centre.
Brad Piggott
The Manitoba (white/grey) and Nova Scotia (Blue/white) men's triathlon teams.
The Canada Games Triathlon Canada Officials (in red) and Local Organising C'tte (yellow)Age-group athletes from TNS have also been visible in competitions across the world. We especially think of Dana Philips, who came back from a horrific crash at Navy '07 to represent Canada at '08 LC Worlds in Australia. This year we were lucky enough to have Worlds spots at several races right here at home and so many Nova Scotians will be donning the red-and-white skin-suit this coming year; good luck all.
That was then, what about now? Well looking forward, I can announce that early in the New Year the AGM will be on Jan 30th at Banook Canoe Club, followed by the Awards banquet (same place). Please come and have your say in the running of this organisation and then stay for the party.
The more net-savvy of you will have realised that a skeleton race-schedule is on Atlantic Chip Timing. These likely aren't the only races however. We're working on another duathlon as well as a draft-legal race so fingers crossed. It is already promising to be an exciting season!
We relaunched the TurnAround too this year, as you probably know if you are reading this. I hope you like the new look and format. Even though some things have changed, some things stay the same and we welcome all contributions from members. We already have followers all across Canada, but even so please forward the links and articles on to people you know who might be interested.
It has been an honour to be your President this year, even if sometimes there's been a touch of the deer-in-headlights and blue-arsed fly about me. As this year draws to a close, take a well-earned break and try not to think about triathlon too much over the Holidays. Come Jan 1 there'll be swim, bike and run aplenty; I look forward to seeing you in TZ
Andrew
President; Triathlon Nova Scotia
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